40
PRO BUSINESS
DECEMBER 2016 PRO INSTALLER
www . proinstaller . co . uk
Apprenticeships are a priority
Boosting the quality and quantity of apprenticeships through construction small and medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs ) will be the key focus of the National President of the Federation of Master Builders ( FMB ). Gary Lewis was elected National President of the FMB , the UK ’ s largest construction trade association , in September at the National AGM and Conference in Newport , Wales . He said : “ I ’ ve always been extremely passionate about passing on my knowledge to the next generation and ensuring that we have enough skilled workers in the construction sector . My own firm is one of the many thousands of SMEs that provides broadskilled apprenticeships . Indeed , two-thirds of all construction apprentices are trained by SME firms like mine . “ FMB members are already playing a pivotal role in improving the quality of apprenticeships through the development of two new Trailblazer standards in bricklaying and plastering . However , root and branch changes to apprenticeship policy are on the horizon with the implementation of the government Apprenticeship Levy and the corresponding reforms to the Construction Industry Training Board ( CITB ) levy . These fundamental changes could make or break the quality and quantity of apprenticeship training and therefore it ’ s vital that the FMB ensures that the new system works for smaller firms . If it doesn ’ t , we could risk exacerbating the construction skills crisis .” At the National AGM and Conference , Arthur McArdle was elected as the FMB ’ s new National Vice-President and Dave Bentley , the former FMB National President , will now serve as the Immediate Past President .
www . fmb . org . uk
Small firms report strong growth plans
Nearly three-quarters ( 73 %) of small businesses with over five employees plan to grow ‘ dramatically or moderately ’ over the next two years , according to a report from independent venture capital investor , Albion Ventures . Across the third quarter of 2016 , the company commissioned global market research and data company YouGov to interview a sample of 1,014 British small businesses . They were asked about challenges and opportunities they face in growing their business . The research showed that finding skilled staff topped the list of challenges , up from third place in 2015 . It was a particular problem for manufacturing , construction ,
‘ root and branch changes to apprenticeship policy are on the horizon ’
medical and healthcare companies . In sixth place , the decision to leave the EU ranked below perennial challenges such as red tape , regulatory change and the difficulty of accessing new markets . Lack of access to finance - one of the major problems voiced by small businesses during the recession - had fallen to 13th place from fifth last year . On a sector basis , over half ( 52 %) of IT and telecom firms were open to equity finance while construction trailed at just 13 %. Other key points from the report were that manufacturers and tech firms were the most optimistic , and East Midland-based entrepreneurs were the most bullish .
UK TRADESPEOPLE DEFY SKILLS GAP PRESSURES
UK tradespeople are refusing to let sector challenges affect their job performance , new research has found .
A study by Ironmongery- Direct has revealed that homeowners are still impressed with the work that is being carried out by trade professionals , despite noticing that the numbers of tradespeople available are dwindling . Nearly 90 % of the public gave praise to the high quality of service they received once they had sourced someone to complete the job . 88 % said they were happy with the finished result , 9 % said it was satisfactory and only 3 % said they were not happy with the work undertaken . The survey of 1,000 people , who have required the services of a tradesperson over the past year , also revealed the increasing difficultly to hire a skilled professional to carry out home renovations and repairs . One in six people ( 16 %) spent more than three weeks looking for someone suitable to undertake the work , and two thirds ( 36 %) said they noticed a significant shortage of skilled professionals when trying to find a person for the job . Last year the Federation of Master Builders ( FMB ) found that 66 % of small firms had been forced to turn away work due to a lack of staff and resources , showing that the situation has not improved . Wayne Lysaght-Mason , managing director at IronmongeryDirect , said : “ The lack of skilled tradespeople in the industry is a huge concern , especially as the public is now starting to see evidence of this . “ Despite there being fewer skilled tradespeople around to meet existing work requirements , it ’ s encouraging to see that the ones who are available are doing a good job and managing to keep up excellent standards of work , despite the pressures being put upon them .
“ Having said this , we urgently need to attract more talent to the sector to ensure standards don ’ t slip and prevent people from having to wait for long periods of time to get a job completed . Steps must be taken to encourage more people into the industry to develop the skills needed for a sustainable future , perhaps by inspiring young people into a construction career or creating more apprenticeship opportunities .” The research was undertaken as part of IronmongeryDirect ’ s ‘ More Skills Required ’ report to find out what effect the skills shortage is having on the UK ’ s ability to find qualified tradespeople , while aiming to suggest ways of easing the pressures on the sector .
For more information , visit www . IronmongeryDirect . co . uk / research